TopGunn#22

I could see either scenario playing out. I remember how badly Frank Viola struggled as a SP early in his Twins career. And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye...he figured it out. Probably because he finally was able to command his change-up. Festa needs to keep working on his change-up to make it a pitch he's consistently "GOOD" with. However, even if we trade one or even two of Ryan, Lopez or Ober, there are still LOTS of arms to consider for the rotation. The young pitchers I have my eye on for the Twins are Matthews, Festa, Abel and Bradley. That's 4 guys. Each of them has flashed excellent strikeout potential and each of them has shown an inability to pitch with command and control, leading to giving up crooked numbers in an inning consistently. It's frustrating to see Matthews and now Abel literally get shelled. It's too early by conventional baseball thinking to give up on any of the 4 guys I listed as SP. Yet, circumstance is probably going to require it. The Twins can't use ALL of these guys in the rotation but they shouldn't be wasting bullets in the minors either. And guys like Prielipp and Raya are also prime candidates for bullpen roles who could still "graduate" to a rotation spot. Festa could indeed be a good closer. He's got a Joe Nathan like pitch mix. But if I'm in the Twins FO and I want to build a team capable of contending in the shaky A.L. Central, I'm not putting someone like Festa, Bradley, Abel or Matthews as my closer. The Twins elected to gut their BP. They could have kept Varland as the closer in waiting. They chose not to. The Twins need to either sign or trade for a veteran closer to anchor a BP that would have potential but also some growing pains. Sign Helsley or Yates. Trade for Camilo Doval or Ryan Walker. Walker was sensational in 2024 and has been so/so in 2025. Doval lost his closer job to Walker, then regained it before being traded to the Yankees. Yates was second only to Clase in 2024. The Dodgers signed him to a $12 million dollar contract, only to shove him into a setup role. He's been so/so this season. Helsley is a GREAT closer. He's been mediocre as a set up man for the Mets. Each of these guys aren't going to command half of the $12-million Kirby Yates is making this year for the Dodgers as a set up man in 2026. Closers can be great, have an off year, and then bounce back with a sensational year. If the Twins choose the right veteran to anchor their BP they could then handle Festa, Bradley or whoever with a little more flexibility. They have about $25 million to play with this winter. They should certainly be able to use $5-$6 million of that to secure a solid veteran option to close games. It's ironic, the Twins could have used that $5-$6 million to sign Duran or Jax but chose to go a different direction. They could still build a decent BP with some of the young arms in their system who are struggling to become solid SP due to lack of consistent control or a pitch mix found lacking. But to do the young pitchers justice as well as the TEAM, a veteran closer should be pursued with urgency this winter. Even if it's just a one-year "prove you've got the goods again" deal. If the Twins actually contend next year and someone like Helsley or Yates is shining as our closer the Twins can consider an extension. If we're not contending, but said veteran closer is pitching well, you can always deal him at the deadline if an extension seems unlikely. Either way, you build in a season that acts as a cushion. You give Festa, Matthews, Bradley and Abel one more season to clarify what they've got to offer. Then the Twins can approach 2027 (provided we don't have a strike) with a better idea what their plan should be for that season and going forward.

That's part of the fun tony&rodney. The Speculation. MAYBE the CWS say no on Teel. But with both Teel and Edgar Quero they have a surplus of talented, young Catchers, an asset they can leverage. In the trade that was suggested on BBTV it would come down to what the White Sox think of Bryce Eldridge. He's the key to any White Sox interest. But you can't deny the Giants would love to have Joe Ryan. I like looking at the proposed trades on BBTV and yes, some of them are ridiculous. But some of them make some sense and in the broader sense, it's clear the Twins need to make some more moves this winter if they hope to compete. As the roster sits now, they won't compete and in the A.L. Central that is a sin that cannot be forgiven. One way or another, the Tigers have to do something with Tarik Skubal. Sign him for a huge amount and see the deleterious effect that could have on the rest of their roster, or, trade him for a package that allows them to compete beyond 2026. The Twins did it with Correa, and now have Brooks Lee in the present and Kalen Culpepper and Marek Houston in the near future. The Twins have the same issue with Joe Ryan. Sign him to an extension, or use him to plug holes on the major league roster. The Tigers are going to have to pay Skubal a LOT more than Joe Ryan. How the Tigers handle the Skubal FA after the 2026 season could make or break them.

As the Twins are currently constituted they will finish 4th in the A.L. Central next year, exactly where they are now. However, when you play in the A.L. Central, you should ALWAYS be in contention. This is the sad situation we Twins fans find ourselves with our present ownership, FO and Manager. Despite playing in a division that is always in play, the Twins, as currently constructed, are a 4th place team with the 5th place team being one of the 2 worst teams in baseball. However, after the trade deadline bloodletting, there are particular areas of depth and particular areas of massive holes. It remains to be seen if the current leadership group of the Twins can make the needed trades and possibly FA signings to put together a contending team. Here are a couple moves as suggested by people on BBTV that would balance the Twins roster and make them better. Cactus1017 posted this 3-way trade: Giants get: Joe Ryan 29 y/o SP 68.2 value Mets get: Jarren Duran 28 y/o OF 64.4 value Twins get: Nolan Mclean 23 y/o SP 19.7 Jett Williams 20 y/o SS 23.1 Kyson Witherspoon 20 y/o SP 17.6 Carsen Benge 21 y/o OF 19.9. The Twins give up 68.2 of value with Joe Ryan and bring back 80.3 in value. It's the expected overpay for a quality veteran SP on the right side of 30 years old. McLean just made his MLB debut with the Mets and was IMPRESSIVE. The other 3 are all very close to the majors and solid talents. Jett Williams is blocked by Lindor. He wouldn't be blocked by Brooks Lee. The Twins bring back TWO young pitchers as well as a SS and OF. Our own Doc Gast posted this trade: Giants get Joe Ryan 68.2 White Sox get Bryce Eldridge 51.5 and Dakota Jordan 8.2 (59.7 total) Twins get: Kyle Teel 22 y/o Catcher 24.8 value. Jose Butto 26 y/o LHRP 11.1. Colson Montgomery 22 y/o SS 15.7. Jon Cannon 24 y/o SP 16.9. Total Value returned 68.5. The Mets trade brings back more overall value and I like it because it brings back 2 quality young arms, especially Nolan Mclean who has already debuted in MLB and impressively at that. I like Doc Gast's trade because it primarily brings back Kyle Teel, our Catcher of the Future (who the White Sox can afford to trade) as well as 3 other talented young players, each of whom has made their MLB debut. SS Colson Montgomery is especially intriguing. I would toss out this potential deal as well: Red Sox get Joe Ryan 68.2 and SWR (value unknown) for Jarren Duran 64.4 and 20 y/o LHSP Payton Tolle 20.0. We get 84.4 value back. Duran is a fixture in LF and at the top of the order and Buxton insurance. Tolle is already at AAA Worcester. He would start at St. Paul next spring but I'd bet on seeing him in the Twins rotation no later than June 1st. He would give us a LH in the rotation and he's NINE years younger than Ryan. The Red Sox get Ryan to slot behind Crochett in their "Win Now" rotation with Bello as a solid #3 and whatever value SWR provides them, either as a somewhat dependable #5 SP or a long relief option. Joe Ryan currently has a value of 68.2 in BBTV. Tarik Skubal is at 68.6. Would you trade Ryan straight up for Skubal? I would. Pablo Lopez is only valued at 17.8. Lopez could easily be the equal of Ryan next season or better. He just costs more. With all the depth the Twins have as rotation hopefuls, it may very well be time to trade Ryan to fill massive gaps in the current Twins roster. His value will never be higher. One or two trades this winter won't put the Twins over the top. I could see 4 trades being made to plug the holes and improve our overall talent. Trading for Yandy Diaz who is a solid RH bat at 1B and carries a BBTV of just 6.2 would be an excellent acquisition. If Catcher and 1B was settled with a rotation that retained Lopez with guys like Ober, Abel, Matthews, Bradley, Festa and others and one trade or FA signing to bring in a veteran closer like Ryan Walker 11.2 value SF Giants, Ryan Helsley, Kirby Yates etc... then I could see the Twins competing for a division title or Wild Card. It is highly unlikely the Tigers will pay Skubal what he wants after the 2026 season. With a strike looming in 2027 the Tigers could actually trade him this off season. How formidable are the Tigers without Skubal at the top of their rotation?? And if they DO pay him, what are the ramifications for the rest of the Tiger roster in 2027 and beyond. Again, when you play in the A.L. Central, you should NEVER be out of the running.

There's a LONG list of Twins who are on already AT make or break status. These guys are running out of runway. Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner: Now that Roden and Outman are in-house and both are far superior defensive players, not to mention ALSO LH hitting OF's, Larnach and Waller could be traded this off season. Both have tantalized with the bat, but neither, especially Wallner, can seem to show any kind of consistency or put together an entire season. The only way I see one of them on this team next year is if they learn how to play 1B, or Alan Roden is traded once he proves he's healthy. Eddie Julien: He's no longer a viable 2B (and I would suggest he never was). Luke Keaschall is there with Brooks Lee and Cody Clemens ahead of Eddie. Clemens is also a better 1B than Julien. I can see Julien being traded this winter as well. His BBTV has sunk to 4.2. Throw Jose Miranda on this scrap heap as well. Austin Martin and Cody Clemens could be a versatile and decent bench in 2026. The only future SWR has with the Twins is as a long reliever. He's a trade candidate as well if another team needs a back end SP. The SP lineup is just too deep for SWR now. Zebby Matthews & David Festa. These guys aren't going anywhere unless the opportunity to acquire a catcher like Kyle Teel or one of the Quero's (Edgar or Jefferson) presents itself and the White Sox or Brewers demanded one of them. But it's frustrating to see Matthews (and Festa before his injury) flash the kind of stuff they have but lose command batter to batter and then give up a 2-run homer to tie the game like Zebby did last night. Sooner, not later, these 2 guys better start figuring it out. With Kalen Culpepper zooming toward a major league debut, it will be interesting to see what happens with Royce Lewis. Tony&rodney listed several teams who may be interested in Lewis and I'll add Boston (if they can't re-sign Bregman) and maybe even the L.A. Dodgers as the only player Lewis seems to be healthier than is Max Muncy. After the trade deadline purge, it was clear to me that more moves were going to happen this winter. There should be a lot of moves yet to come. I wish I had more confidence in Falvey.

Chowlowsky is certainly the early favorite Cory, but every year there are a handful of guys either in College or High School who seem to just put it together. Their power emerges. Their fastball adds 5mph, their slider/sweeper adds more spin. The article listed 2 College SS and a High school Pitcher (I think...). There will be other names added to the list and then dropped and then a couple more added and dropped before the draft actually takes place. At this point, it doesn't appear we desperately need: SS. C. Corner OF. SP. But if that's where the best player is when the Twins are on the clock they could still pick one. Let's say a College Corner OF bat emerges and the bat could be big league ready SOON. It will be interesting to see what the FO and scouting department decide. bunsen82 also made a great point about signing somebody under slot to use money for someone special later in the draft. jorgenswest makes a good point about the need to get Mick Abel up and in the rotation as well as Taj Bradley in the BP. I'd love to see Bradley get an opportunity to close some games out. I wouldn't be willing to just flush Bradley as a SP just yet. But I'd love to see him get a mini audition as a closer to see how he performs. Adding Pablo Lopez back into the rotation for the remainder of the season will also better our chances of winning a few more games, as will continued improvement from Bailey Ober. Maybe top 8 (rather than top 3 or 4) is more realistic to hope for.

Great synopsis of the "state of catching prospects in the Twins system." We've been hearing how bare the cupboard is here for so long that it was quite enlightening to see it laid out from the top of the system to the bottom. In reading through the comments I think there is a sizable portion of TD readers/posters who are sleeping on Noah Cardenas. Others on here have also pointed this out, but he's probably our best defensive catcher in the system at this time and his offense, while not LOUD, is steadily improving. I see Cardenas breaking camp next year as the #2 behind Jeffers provided the Twins don't acquire a catcher like Kyle Teel or the CWS Quero or Brewers Quero. Seeing the extensive layout of the minor league catching prospects "almost" makes me consider giving up on acquiring a Teel/Quero type. "Almost..." The Twins still have a serious need for a Major League caliber catcher to pair with Jeffers and I am kind of fixated on getting a Teel/Quero type who's played a full season in the big leagues and has shown some promise. To me, the White Sox remain a prime candidate because they really don't need BOTH of those young catchers and they could use a pile of prospects, which the Twins have in abundance. The Twins could even include one of these catching prospects (Not Tait) in a deal to acquire one of the White Sox young major league catchers.

The Twins are very well stocked with SS in the system right now, but with the ability of the best athlete on the field (the SS) to move to other positions cannot be discounted. Culpepper may be on the fast track to the Twins roster and Marek Houston is just an outstanding glove with an ability to make consistent solid contact at the plate (at least so far). Other players, especially in the college ranks will emerge before the draft next season. The Twins usually take position players with their first pick. Let's say they pick 3rd or 4th. Might there be a College or High School pitcher they can't resist? It will be interesting to see where they land and then read about the top 5 players throughout the College and High School/Legion/Elite Traveling seasons to get an idea of who they might pick. Might there be a high profile Catcher, in the Joe Mauer mold that could be available?

This is a great move. The kid excelled. Move him up. I agree with Mike Sixel, Houston will play SS for Cedar Rapids. He's just head and shoulders better than the other guys. Mike also makes a great point about continuing to play guys at SS when they're probably not going to ever play an inning of defense at SS in the major leagues. Debarge to 3B. DeAndrade to 2B and Winokur primarily to the OF with the occasional game at 3B. With Houston, Culpepper and Lee, there are just too many capable bodies (or well beyond capable) to be wasting innings for guys with a chance to make it to the major leagues who will in all likelihood play somewhere other than SS. At this point, SS looks like a stacked position in the Twins system. All the more reason to have moved on from Carlos Correa, who is looking more and more like a 3B for the rest of his career.

Did Walker Jenkins get a day off?

There are a number of players who should be making their Twins debuts either before the rest of this season ends, or early-mid 2026. Seeing the the list and also being aware of others who are climbing the ladder rather quickly (Gabe Gonzalez) makes me wonder if one of Wallner/Larnach might be traded this winter and possibly BOTH if Roden supplants one and if a current major league OF is acquired in a winter trade or signed as a FA. The Twins now have the #2 ranked farm system in baseball. Only the Dodgers are ahead of them. That kind of "upward pressure" from promising prospects results in changes for the current major league roster. A good example of this is Baltimore. They've had (and continue to have) quite a few top prospects who are currently on the major league roster or are knocking on the door (Samuel Basallo). Some of their prospects got traded (Stowers, Norby among others). The Twins FO is going to have to make some tough decisions about who they keep, who they trade and who they acquire in those trades. There's not enough room for all of them. I'm not sure I'm confident the current FO is equipped for this, but I hope they are.

Nick, you may have a point about the impact of ownership in pro sports being exaggerated. However... Are the Vikings better off with the Wilf brothers as opposed to Red McCombs?? Are the T-Wolves better off with their new ownership as opposed to Glen Taylor?? Are the Wild better off with their current ownership than Norm Green ?? Maybe as a generalized statement, you are correct. However, as Minnesota sports fans, I think a lot of us would disagree with you. But I think 95% of us posting here agree with your article.

Owning a sports team is different from owning a real estate or banking business. First, you're guaranteed a certain level of income through TV and other media sources before you even sell a ticket. Then, when the "wealthy" clubs like the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox spend like drunken sailors, you get a little more money when they have to pay a luxury tax. This is why the Pohlad's don't care about the fans. They are reluctant to spend the little bit extra to put them over the top as a division winner or Wild Card playoff team that could actually make a deeper run. When payrolls were more manageable and the team had a GREAT GM (Andy McPhail) they could get by with adding Don Baylor at the deadline (who statistically added very little to the World Series victory) or making two very impactful off season moves (Jack Morris & Chili Davis) in 1991. Can anyone name the big trade deadline move the Twins made in 1991? (they didn't make any deals for a major league player). It will be interesting to see if season ticket sales FALL for next season. I can almost guarantee that there will be fewer "walk up" sales in 2026. This augers poorly for any profit from ticket sales. There is widespread acrimony throughout the fanbase that a SALE by the Pohlad's did not happen. What the heck was Manfred talking about just before the All Star game?? I will repeat what I've said a couple times. The Twins are from from done making trades. They have a surplus of SP and LH hitting corner OF to initiate trades for positional areas that are lacking (C, 1B, DH). They have the financial flexibility to actually add a veteran Closer. Do I have faith in Falvey and Zoll to make those moves. No. I'll believe it when I see it. But we on TD will have a lot of fun speculating. The Vikings and T-Wolves will be dominating the Minnesota sports headlines. The Gopher football team is thought to be a darkhorse in the Big Ten. If the Wild don't screw up and fail to sign Kaprizov to an extension, they will further push the Twins to the periphery. There is already disgust for the franchise. Apathy is either not far behind or actually already here. How long will it take for the Pohlad family to get the message??

That's a good point dxpavelka !!! The last time was Nathan. But he was young and unproven. Through the years the Twins have acquired Ron Perranoski, Jeff Reardon and Rick Aguilera by trade. But your point is still a good one. THIS front office has not been good when trading for bullpen help. The Twins have the makings of a pretty good rotation next season. As far as the BP, the cupboard is bare. There are holes in the lineup and behind the plate. The possibility exists that with a few more trades the Twins could even out their roster and in the A.L. Central possibly contend. The Tigers with a resurgent lineup and Tarik Skubal look legit. The Guardian Indians always find a way to be in the mix (although the Clase situation is a BIG problem). The Royals have had to deal with a down year from Bobby Witt Jr. and their Ace, Cole Ragans has been hurt much of the year. The Royals will be better next season. But I can see the Twins actually being competitive if Buxton stays healthy. Royce Lewis stays healthy and bounces back. Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee and Ryan Jeffers deliver. That leaves both corner OF, 1B and DH. If the Twins package some SP and also decide to part with Wallner/Larnach they could fill some of those positional/lineup holes while also becoming a better club defensively. The BP needs a Closer to be it's foundation, but other arms like Raya, Prielipp, Topa and pray the Rosary...MATT CANTERINO (I just can't give up on this guy) and whatever SP or 2 don't make the rotation line up behind that Closer. I listed a couple guys like Helsley, Devin Williams and Kirby Yates. Right now Helsley and Yates are not being used as Closers and their pitching like it (rather uninspired). The Twins will have some money to spend and if they truly want to contend, they will need a Closer. The current regime has never paid ANY pitcher in their BP any kind of money. And they promptly traded Duran and Jax just before they would start seeing their salaries start to climb. Maybe with a virtually clean slate in 2026 they will determine they NEED a Closer and they go out and get one. Helsley and Williams will make $8.2 and $8.6 million in 2025, but once their year ends each will have underperformed. They are still good pitchers. Could a 2-3 year contract at $6 million be possible?? In terms of the Twins, that is a fortune! In terms of normal major league teams, Williams or Helsley at $6 million would be a bargain. Maybe the new investors are able to impress something like this strategy on the Pohlad/Falvey regime. Of course Rocco could always send out Devin Williams or Ryan Helsley in the 7th inning in a high leverage situation. That's his prerogative. And we will all be pulling our hair out. I I can dream, and then still have my dream crushed. After all, I'm a Twins fan.

As many others have pointed out, we have a LOT of SP depth heading into the remainder of this season and future years. And even more talent percolating in the lower minors (yes, I'm talking about YOU Dasan Hill). The FO and Manager/Pitching Coach are going to have to start determining who lines up where after Ryan and Lopez. And it's VERY possible that one of Ryan or Lopez is traded this winter. I absolutely agree that guys like Abel and Bradley are fine in the minors as long as specific things are being worked on. But each of them needs to be up with the Twins SOON so they can continue their evolution at the big league level. A trade of Ryan or Lopez could bring some truly outstanding positional Major League talent to the Twins at positions they are lacking. But two of the teams that could benefit the Twins the most for a young catcher, the White Sox and the Brewers, are probably not in the market for a contract like Lopez and a future contract like Ryan. But they may be interested in a Wallner/Larnach, possibly paired with a younger pitcher like SWR. If the Twins can acquire Teel or one of the Quero's that would be key to finding a long term solution at catcher. Maybe a trade of Bailey Ober, who is steadily building his value back, to the Red Sox for a 1B like Tristan Casas (once he's recovered from his knee injury) could be the 1B that solves our problem there. Otherwise, Tampa Bay has Yandy Diaz under contract for $8 million for 2026 with an option for 2027. The Twins could trade Ober or SWR for Yandy Diaz who would give the Twins a solid RH bat at 1B and in the lineup. The Twins have a surplus of SP and LH hitting corner OF. Those assets could be used to fill Catcher and 1B and maybe some other lineup holes for 2026.

I agree with JD-TWINS on a number of points. Most of the guys we traded we all knew SHOULD be traded...and they were. Every guy on an expiring contract was rightfully traded. Some, they got reasonable value. Others, it seemed like they could have done better (Stewart for Outman for example). The Varland trade, while the value was decent, still confounds me because he would have been our closer the rest of the season and at worst, depending on what BP arms they acquire this off season our 8th inning guy in 2026, and he was under team control at bargain prices for his production for several years. It doesn't really matter what Buxton thinks and what else is he going to say? It should also be concerning that Rocco is pleased because he was probably a goner if new ownership had actually happened. And I believe Rocco is a major part of the problem. So to me, there is no way you can spin the fact that we are cursed with the Pohlad's for how ever many additional years as a positive. Just no way. However, with the depth of starting pitching and the continued surplus of LH hitting corner OF there remains opportunity to continue the team makeover this off season. I'm left with Falvey (and Zoll, the intrepid "Man in the Shadows") to execute this off season makeover. It is here that I lack a high degree of confidence. This would be a great time to have a paid subscription to BBTV so that I could wheel and deal to my hearts content. Alas, I continue to refuse to pay for it, so I will be forced to depend on Doc Gast to share the blockbuster trades involving Ryan and Lopez, or the lower impact, yet still fruitful trades involving Larach/Ober or Wallner/SWR to bring us a young, major league catcher and other possible lineup enhancements like 1B, LF, RF.

I'm not sure what Rocco's career record in one run and extra inning games is. But I'll bet it's not very good.

Well, now that the dream of new ownership and a new everything has been thoroughly CRUSHED we can get back to discussing the details of a baseball team. The Twins have built up a LOT of depth with young SP. But there are only so many spots to be filled. We also have a BP that while talented, was completely GUTTED at the deadline. SOME of these SP candidates either need to be traded or transitioned to BP roles. Who goes where? Here's my idea for a bunch of these guys: Lopez, Ryan, Ober. This is a solid 1-2-3 for a rotation. The problem this season has been health. Ryan has been healthy and was an All Star. Lopez and Ober haven't been healthy and haven't been effective. With the Pohlad's remaining, it's very possible that one of Ryan or Lopez and possibly BOTH gets traded. While the Twins could receive a heck of a haul for either, I'm not in favor of trading them. They should be the foundation of a strong rotation. Ober however is another matter. If he finishes the season strong, he's the SP I would trade. He could bring back a strong position player or 2. Matthews, Festa, SWR, Abel, Bradley. These 5 guys make up the next tier. With the exception of SWR who probably belongs in the Twins BP or in another teams rotation the other 4 all have the potential to be anything from a #5 all the way to a #2. So far I've listed 8 SP. If Ober was traded we could get by with the remaining 7 especially if SWR was shifted to long relief. He'd be much more effective in that role and if needed to start could be built up fairly quickly. Guys like Adams and Ohl could have roles in the BP. In their cases it's a matter of just making it to the major league roster. Varland realized he could be an established major league player if he embraced a BP role. Jax did as well. I'm a believer that guys would much rather be a "Major Leaguer" even if it means being a "utility player" or a BP arm than chasing the dream in the minors. Adams has the best chance of being a solid 1 inning guy. But before the Twins determine what they want to do with Festa (who could be a Joe Nathan type of arm) or Bradley, Matthews and Abel, they have to determine whether they can actually COMPETE in the A.L. Central in 2026. And believe me, EVERY TEAM in the A.L. Central outside of the hapless White Sox should feel they can compete. This would require the Pohlad family and Falvey to sign someone like Yandy Diaz to play 1B and to bring in at least ONE, veteran closer. Guys like David Bednar and Camilo Doval are tied to the Yankees for at least a couple more years. But Devin Williams is a FA who earned $8.6 million in 2025. Ryan Helsley earned $8.2 million in 2025 and he's a FA. Kirby Yates is a FA who will earn $13 million from the Dodgers this season (if there was ever better evidence the Dodgers can throw money around like a drunken sailor on leave it's paying Yates almost DOUBLE what Williams, Helsley and others earned). Yates has had a down year. He will be 39 next March. He's not making anything close to $13 million in 2026. But he was flat out dominant in 2024. And maybe he wants to be Closer again instead of just some guy in the Dodgers crowded pen. The glaring hole in the Twins BP is a Closer. After Duran, Jax AND Varland were dealt there's really nobody. There is no way Festa should even be considered for Closer as long as he has the potential to be a #2 or #3 SP. And the same is true for Abel, Matthews and Bradley. If the Rotation consists of Ryan, Lopez, Matthews, Festa, Abel and Bradley that's 6 pretty good arms. That allows Ober to be traded if he builds his value back up. It also allows for SWR to either land a spot in our BP or land in another teams rotation possibly getting a valuable position player in a position of need back. Connor Prielipp is 24. Marco Raya is 23. It's time to get them on the major league roster. Raya should be a BP guy for sure. Maybe he throws the 8th inning and auditions for "future Closer." Much like the Twins used Johan Santana in the BP to begin with, these guys should be using their bullets in the big leagues. Raya is probably destined for the BP. Prielipp? I'd like to keep open the idea he could still be a SP while getting value out of him on the big league roster as a high leverage reliver. There are a LOT more moves to be made this off season. One of Larnach/Wallner needs to be traded. Possibly both. Imagine what an Ober/Larnach or Wallner/SWR package could bring back. I'd be all over offering Wallner/ SWR to the White Sox to get a package that includes one of their 2 young catchers back. If I was advising the Twins, I'd be looking to get guys like Adams, Raya and Prielipp some innings in the Arizona Fall League or Dominican Winter League as relief pitchers. That way their innings are limited and they could get their feet wet in the role. Heck, if it was up to me, I'd send a couple of the journeyman mediocre BP arms packing (Ramirez, Kriske, Misiewicz) and get Prielipp and Raya up NOW. The Twins just moved one game closer to the K.C. Royals in the Wild Card race last night. KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE !!!

This news just kind of lets the air out of the balloon of hope we all had. I don't know how many times I referenced "once the new ownership group takes over and we get a new FO, manager and coaching staff to bring a new strategic plan and philosophy..." Well, there is egg all over my face now. It's like I was in purgatory, was told I would be going to heaven soon, and then found out heaven wouldn't happen for another million years. Howeda said, if passion gives way to indifference, then the franchise is cooked until new owners emerge. I can't think of a less positive development than the Pohlad family remaining as majority owners. With Glen Taylor finally going away for the T-Wolves and the positivity of the Wilf family owning the Vikings, it's clear that of the 4 major sports franchises in Minnesota, the Pohlad family, as owners, are the most reviled. So if attendance, selling Twins merchandise and the rest of it hits rock bottom, how long do the Pohlad's hold out?? Every sports franchise business model is dependent on selling tickets to the games. Selling LOTS of tickets. TV revenue is not enough. You could always assume that with all the young talent the Twins have now, they could become a winning team in the near future. After all, life is never so bad if you compete in the A.L. Central. But with the fanbase disgusted with the owners, the FO and the manager, will a winning team even matter?? Can the Twins sell enough tickets? It seems highly doubtful. How are the new investors going to react, when in 2-3 years they realize the Twins are a money pit and they're not seeing any positivity on their investment? The fanbase is already inflamed. What happens if Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez are traded this off season? What if BOTH are traded??? Most of us in TD follow baseball pretty closely. If any part of the fanbase can get excited about "prospects" coming over in a Ryan or Lopez trade, it's US !! But very few of us WANT to see Ryan or Lopez traded and the average fan will have very little to zero appreciation for a "prospect" they know nothing about and who made not even make it to the major league roster for a couple of years. By the time they do, the average fan won't even remember that prospect arrived as part of a Ryan or Lopez trade. I didn't think things could get any lower for the Twins following the "trade deadline massacre." How foolish I was. With the Twins, it seems things can always get WORSE.

This has always been one of my biggest pet peeves with Rocco. Lineup Construction. Of course Keaschall should be the leadoff hitter !! He gets on base at a high rate and can steal bases as well as go from 1st to 3rd on a base hit. If he's not leading off, he should hit #2. While Buxton likes hitting leadoff, with his extra base hit power, and especially since his plate disipline has improved and he's making more consistent contact, Buxton should be hitting 3rd. Hitting guys like Larnach, Wallner and Jeffers in the leadoff spot is just lame. Honestly, I have no idea what "analytics" points to sluggers with no footspeed hitting leadoff. Hitting Luis Arraez 5th never made any sense. I look at a lot of box scores. Always have. Always will. Most teams have fairly stable lineups day in and day out. Maybe a platoon player moves a couple guys. Rocco's lineups are like no one else. I'm ready for a new manager.

For the most part, I agree with the grades. Of course, Matthew should be given the opportunity to re-grade about this time next year after he's been able to evaluate how Bradley and Abel are doing in the big leagues and how some of the other pieces are progressing through the minors. What disappointed me about this deadline the most was that we were supposed to have leverage and I don't see that in ANY of the trades we made. We got 2 good prospects back for Duran, but should have done better. When you have one of the top 2 closers on the market (Mason Miller was the other) a team should extract a premium. The Duran trade failed to attain that level. As I've said, include Bader in the Duran deal and get the young CF prospect Crawford. THAT would have at least approached a premium. I agree with the assessment that we Twins fans overvalued Willi Castro. Willie could play a number of places but LF was the only position he had even average fielding prowess. Honestly, he was a below average fielder at 3B, 2B, SS & CF. He was a decent, but not outstanding hitter. We got about what he was worth. I hated trading Jax. But we got a pitcher 6 years younger who could become a #3 SP or possibly a kights out RP. Time will tell. I think the Correa trade was a win just to off load the salary of a SS who spent a lot of time injured. The grade for now is acceptable, but I agree it will rise or fall on what the new owner and new FO decides to do with the $20 million saved in salary. Some of that could be used on an upgrade to a position player who hits better. Some on replenishing the BP. No grade can be considered "official" on the Correa trade until we see how that added payroll in invested...or NOT invested. What I didn't like about the Stewart and Varland trades is that they were last minute and appeared to be rushed. The FO completely botched the Stewart trade. The Varland trade, with all the years of control remaining for Varland and the lack of anyone on the current roster to close games was unnecessary to me. We may bring in a veteran closer at $3 million or so, maybe we don't. But Varland COULD have been the closer in 2026 or at the least, the 8th inning set up guy. Front office malpractice on the Varland and Stewart trades in my opinion.

I don't dislike what we got for Duran, yet I also questioned whether it should have been more. Supposedly, the Twins were the guys that had the leverage in any deal. Teams wanted OUR players for a playoff and possible World Series run. Mason IS worth more than Duran. The strikeout rate is the primary indicator. Duran was having the better year, but despite all his velocity and "stuff" Duran just doesn't generate eye popping strikeout rates. At least he hasn't this season and last season. Closers with stuff like Duran and Miller always return higher value, especially at the deadline. They are probably at least 25% more valuable at the deadline as the pennant races come into sharper focus. BBTV rated Duran's value alone slightly higher than Tait & Abel. While not a perfect comparison it does convincingly illustrate that the Twins SHOULD have gotten more for Duran. After the trade, I was the poster who suggested the Twins should have included Bader in the original deal for Crawford. Once again, THIS Twins FO gets bedazzled with quantity over quality. I've railed about that in past posts over signing multiple "Shoemaker" type pitchers instead of just signing one SP who can actually pitch. The constant dart throwing of this FO is frustrating. Ryan_K also makes this point effectively. Were the Twins ever in conversation with the Padres regarding Duran? The A's may have included JP Sears, but what if the Twins had included SWR with Duran? Could we have landed the #3 overall prospect in baseball (DeVries)?? And the A's got several MORE players from the Padres in ADDITION to the #3 overall prospect. There is no question the Twins sold low on Duran. Sending Brock Stewart to the Dodgers and only getting James Outman in return was returning negative value for a bullpen arm that is solid in high leverage situations. I will also acknowledge that I have pointed out the absurd level of LH hitting corner outfielders the Twins have stockpiled, and yet I wanted to add Bader to the deal to get Crawford...another LH hitting OF. The difference in Crawford is that he's a pure CF and with questions whether Jenkins or E-Rod remaining in CF and Kiersey no longer having a future with the Twins, Crawford made sense to me in that equation.

I said that Ober would be the last guy I would offer an extension to, but let me clarify that a bit. Essentially, I agree with what Doc Bauer and tony&rodney are saying. Signing Ober or Joe Ryan to extensions certainly doesn't make them untradable. In fact, it could actually make them easier to trade with the cost certainty the acquiring team can count on. It's kind of like Sandy Alcantara's situation. He's signed for something like 3 more years after this season. The problem is that Alcantara hasn't pitched well at all. If he had pitched like Ryan, he'd be on a different team right now and his cost would have been enormous. Where extensions get tricky is whether a no trade clause is included. That really ties a front office's hands. I maintain that the Twins CAN be legitimate contenders as soon as next season in the A.L. Central and for a Wild Card if Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez head the rotation. But there is no denying that Ryan would bring a HAUL back in a trade. It's laughable reading some Red Sox centric commentary that the Twins blew it by flinching at a Wilyer Abreu, Payton Tolle and another minor leaguer for Ryan deal, essentially saying the Twins would get far less from Boston in an off season trade. That's not likely in my mind. In fact, there has been angst in Boston that they came to the Twins far too late at the deadline and with far less than the Twins were demanding for Ryan. I think Boston will pay a VERY heavy price for Ryan this off season if he continues to be their White Whale. I've been projecting Ober as the potential trade chip but that won't really happen if he doesn't start flashing some of his magic the remainder of the season. Last night's game, Ober looked like Ober. That's a very positive development. I've always felt Ryan is the superior pitcher to Ober. His ability to miss bats is what really separates them. But Ober has been, and can be, a really solid #3. If Ober rebuilds much of his currently lost value he's worth a one-for-one for Jarren Duran. Ober and a little something extra would certainly be worth Wilyer Abreu and Payton Tolle. I can't remember a time when the Twins have had a deeper roster of SP. (while at the same time having almost NO bullpen). Ober could probably be replaced by Taj Bradley, David Festa, Mick Able, Zebby Matthews or SWR. Any of those options might be equal to Ober, a little worse or a little better. We have LH hitting OF stacked to the roof in the warehouse. There will certainly be more trades to even out this roster this off season.

Interesting article. I would offer this opinion: With all the SP talent the Twins have added and have coming up in the minors Bailey Ober would be the LAST guy I'd consider for an extension. I've stated a couple times in other threads that I'd be looking for Ober to build his value back up so that I could offer him (instead of Ryan) to the Red Sox for Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu. Or, if Ober has mixed results in rebuilding his value, offer him to the Red Sox for minor league LH SP Payton Tolle. The Red Sox NEED that #2 SP to slot behind Crochet (or possibly #3 to slot behind Bello if he keeps pitching so well). Ryan and Lopez are the SP's to invest in, (we've already invested in Lopez) build around, and make the foundation for an exceptional starting rotation. With Bradley, Abel, Festa, Matthews and SWR around and guys like Dasan Hill, Marco Raya and Conner Prielipp in the pipeline Ober is not needed (by the Twins). But he IS needed by a team like the Red Sox. I love Luke Keaschall. But there is no reason to rush into extending him. Let's give him the rest of the season, and all of 2026 to establish who he is, and where the Twins will primarily play him. Under MLB's current system, the Twins and Red Sox are not on equal footing like, say, the Vikings and Patriots. Roman Anthony was the #1 ranked prospect in MLB last year and to begin this year. The Red Sox were smart to lock him up. If Walker Jenkins ascends to #1 prospect status and dominates AA & AAA like Anthony did, then by all means...Lock Jenkins up as well. But right now, the only extension I want to see from the Twins is JOE RYAN !!!

It's Culpepper for the soon and foreseeable future. But imagine the IF defense with Culpepper at 3B and Houston at SS with Lee or Keaschall at 2B (and Lewis at 1B). Regarding that play by Houston...WOW !! I'm with Terrydactyls as far as Houston is concerned. It was TIME to move on from Correa. A re-set was needed. Current leadership (Owners, FO, Manager) had clearly squandered whatever patience or good will they had. But I will give them credit. When it came to the eventual "Post Correa" outcome, they have left the Twins in a very favorable position. A promotion for Culpepper to St. Paul should either come soon or to begin 2026. But if he continues to tear it up at AA and then AAA, the new Twins regime shouldn't hesitate to bring him up. Lee is an O.K. backup at SS but he lacks the athleticism to stick there for long. Culpepper and Houston are prospects to get excited about.

For the bullpen next year a lot depends on who they see as their closer. Will it be someone they bring in, certainly at a discounted rate, who is a veteran with closing experience, maybe on the wrong side of 35 years old who had a bit of a down year in 2025? Say, someone like Kirby Yates? Or do they decide that someone like David Festa or Taj Bradley belongs in that role? It would be surprising to see the Twins new ownership and FO give up on Festa and Bradley as SP this early. I have always seen SWR as a better fit in a long reliever role. He's usually good for about 4 innings and than he falters. What I could REALLY see happening is Twins looking to trade a SP to the Red Sox...but NOT Joe Ryan. If the Twins are serious about a quicker rebuild, Ryan and Lopez need to remain the #1 and #2. However, with guys like Mick Abel, Taj Bradley and David Festa to slot in as #3, #4 and #5 with Zebby Matthews, SWR, Connor Prielipp and Marco Raya also in the que, I see Bailey Ober as trade bait. Maybe the Twins try to work a deal with Boston for Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu?? They are both excellent players who would improve the outfield defense and lineup potency. The only negative? They are both LH HITTING outfielders!! So if you were to see a deal like that, you can count on at least one of Wallner/Larnach being traded, and probably BOTH of them with Roden, Outman, Jenkins and E-Rod in the mix. What might the Twins look to add with a Wallner and/or a Larnach trade? Depending on whatever else was a part of the deal, I'd have my eye on Kyle Teel/Edgar Quero, 2 young catchers with the White Sox, or Jefferson Quero, a talented young catcher in the Brewers system held back by All Star William Contreras. The Twins are far from being done with wheeling and dealing in re-shaping this roster. They could choose to move Prielipp and Raya into bullpen roles to gradually break them in. They could make a number of trades with players on their major league roster this off season. With new ownership, they could choose to strategically use some of the $25-$30 million saved on payroll through their deadline deals. It seems like we've been saying "This off season is sure going to be interesting for the Twins" for like the last 5 years. But in many of those off seasons, the moves made were just at the margins. THIS off season there is a LOT of work to be done. Most of the deadline moves were pretty good. The Varland and Brock Stewart moves were questionable. But there is no denying that THIS off season is going to be VERY INTERESTING. The conversation on Twins Daily will be "stimulating."